@article {310419, title = {Spontaneous heart disease in the adult chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).}, journal = {J Med Primatol}, volume = {38}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Feb}, pages = {51-8}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: A high incidence of heart disease, especially idiopathic cardiomyopathy (IC), is seen in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

METHODS: We reviewed clinical records and necropsy reports of 87 adult chimpanzees for possible causes of heart disease/IC. We examined age, sex, cause of death, weight, diet, environment, infectious diseases, experimental uses and clinical pathology.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of heart disease in chimpanzees was 67.81\%; the prevalence of IC was 51.72\%. The prevalence of IC was significantly higher in males (60.32\%) than that in females (29.17\%, P = 0.009). The prevalence of other heart disease was higher in females (25\%) than that in males (12.70\%, P = 0.165). Heart failure occurred in 47.13\% of chimpanzees. Heart disease was the primary cause of death in 34.49\% of chimpanzees; 29.88\% died of unknown causes.

CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that diet, environment, viral agents, experimental use or disease exposure contributed to the deaths resulting from IC in chimpanzees.

}, keywords = {Animals, Ape Diseases, Body Weight, Cardiomyopathies, Diet, Disease Models, Animal, Environment, Female, Male, Myocardium, Pan troglodytes, Retrospective Studies}, issn = {0047-2565}, doi = {10.1111/j.1600-0684.2008.00307.x}, author = {Seiler, Brittany M and Dick, Edward J and Guardado-Mendoza, Rodolfo and VandeBerg, John L and Williams, Jeff T and Mubiru, James N and Hubbard, Gene B} }